The present invention relates to fishing lures. More particularly, the present invention relates to a two-component fishing lure system capable of translating lateral motion of a first component to the second component.
A wide variety of artificial fishing lures are used to attract fish, thereby hooking fish that strike the lures. One type of lure is a plug, which is a hard-body lure designed to resemble baitfish and other aquatic prey, and mimic movements of fleeing prey to increase the attraction of fish. Generally, plugs may be cast and retrieved, and may be trolled (i.e., pulled through the water) at mild speeds.
Plugs are generally divided into three categories. The first category are surface plugs, which float on the surface of the water. Surface plugs create disturbances in the surface when twitched or retrieved to attract fish that feed near the surface. The second category are crankbait or diving plugs, which float when stationary and dive when retrieved. A crankbait includes a lip at the front portion of the lure that causes the crankbait to dive. The rate of descent is generally a function of the length of the lip. Additionally, the lip also causes lateral motion in the crankbait, also referred to as wobbling. When the crankbait is pulled through the water, the lateral motion attracts fish, which believe the crankbait is a fleeing or wounded prey. The third category of plugs are sinking plugs, which sink when stationary and ascend through the water when retrieved. Sinking plugs also exhibit lateral motion when pulled through the water while ascending.
The lateral motion created by the crankbait and sinking plugs are caused by the connection of the leader line to the lure at the lip. This causes the lure to wobble to attract fish. However, the lateral motion of the crankbait or sinking plug is limited to the lure itself, which limits the amount of attraction to fish.